Development of clinical pathway for stroke management: An e-Delphi survey

An expert consensus survey based on electronic communication of Delphi method is conducted to develop the TCM clinical pathway for acute ischemie stroke. An initial protocol of the clinical pathway is developed based on literature survey and by an internal panel of experts, which forms the basis of the questionnaire of the Delphi survey. The content of the initial questionnaire is classified into two aspects. A national expert panel is called up for the expert consensus by the e-Delphi method. 100% of the panel members replied in the first round, and only 3 members missed in the second round. The total authority coefficient (C_r) is 0.84 and the Kendall´s W for coordination is kept below 0.5 in all domains. In conclusion, we believe the finalized version of the clinical pathway developed by Delphi method in the study is reliable and feasible for the clinical TCM and IM management of acute ischemie stroke.